[kelinger]

Insight 2002: Manual (with A/C). Owned since 9/2002

For about 48 hours now, my Insight has driven with just 3 bars on the battery meter. I've driven to work (20 miles, mostly downhill) and home (20 miles, mostly uphill) and it hasn't moved. I get the green and red indicators showing that I'm charging or using the battery but no luck. I'm in Phoenix so the A/C is running (on econ mode set at 75 degrees) quite a bit but I normally can go from empty to nearly a full charge on the drive to work each morning but didn't get a budge today.

Is there something obvious I'm missing or is it time for a trip to Honda?

Ken

 

[Willie Williford]

Possible 12V battery, meet with Rick....He'll explain it.

 

[jtmco]

Mine has been "reluctant" to climb this week also. I replaced the 12V battery about 3 months ago, so it should be fine. Perhaps with the heat outside and the load due to the AC, it just isn't bothering to charge that much. One trick that I've tried (read it somewhere on this forum) is to turn on the headlights. That seems to "remind" the system that it should charge itself up.

Good luck.

Jim

 

[Corey872]

I have noticed a lack of boost and charge recently. I suspect it has been related to the heat...afternoon temps in the 95-98F range with the occasional pop-up thunderstorm, so we are hesitant to leave the windows down to help vent the cabin. Seems to give the battery a good heat soak and the ~20 minute drive home isn't really enough time for the AC to work it's way into the battery compartment and help cool it. Seems like lots of times we only get 4-5 bars boost on acceleration and 4-5 on charging regardless of how hard the pedals are pressed.

 

[Rick]

Kelinger, want me to take a look at the car and see if I can figure anything out?

 

[The Citrus Smoothie]

Sounds like it has 'jammed' to me. I suggest disconnecting and reconnecting the 12V battery to reset the IMA.

 

[kelinger]

Works again

Seems to have fixed itself after the third day. Tried the headlight trick on the way to work on day 3 but didn't really charge too much. Then, on the way home, it started going up, up, and up again and by the time I got to work on day 4, I had a full charge and everything was behaving "normally."

I'll of course keep an eye on it but thanks for all the suggestions and offers to help out!

Ken

 

[Rick]

Strange, glad to hear things are back to normal.

 

[Sparky5501]

I think it's temperature related as well. It's been 85-90° f here in Seattle the past few days (yuck way to hot!) and my recharge has been stuck at half way. I just installed a brand new Odyssey 680, so there should be no reason for it to be stalled at half charge anymore. But, yesterday and today the temps are back to normal about 70° f and I'm back up to full charge again.

Anyone have any idea why temps above 85° f is causing the charge stall?

Could it be resistance in the copper batt wires due to heat build up? I'm thinking about soldering the crimped terminal ends to get better current flow.